Framed panel

ABSTRACT

A panel made up of an expanded metal mesh with frame members of split tubing receiving the edges of mesh and gripping it, and molded into a rigid unitary frame; and hinge means for mounting the panel on the support.

United States Patent Inventor Joseph Catalano 1218 W. Grand Ave.,Chicago, 111. 60622 793,966

Jan. 27, 1969 June 8,1971

Appl. No. Filed Patented FRAMED PANEL 1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figs.

Int. Cl E061) 9/00 Field of Search. 160/391,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1951 Coleman 256/73X 2/1897Keyser ..et al./l60/391X 12/1925 McClure 160/391 9/1927 Bell 49/50X10/1930 Sonafelt 160/391X 9/1936 Fairchild et 256/21UX 4 PrimaryExaminer-Dennis L. Taylor AuorneyPaul H. Gallagher ABSTRACT: A panelmade up of an expanded metal mesh with frame members of split tubingreceiving the edges of mesh and gripping it, and molded into a rigidunitary frame; and hinge means for mounting the panel on the support.

FRAMED PANEL SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention resides in thegeneral field of openwork panels, often utilized as window guards forexample, but also usable as gates, space dividers, wall elements, andvarious such devices. The device includes a mesh element and asurrounding rigid frame.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION A broad object of the invention is to providenovel panel including a main mesh member surrounded by a frame member,forming a rigid panel which may be used as a space divider, a wallelement, or a guard which may be placed over openings, windows, etc.

Another object is to provide a panel of the foregoing general characterwhich is inexpensive, both in the materials used and in the fabricationthereof.

Another and more specific object is to provide a panel of the foregoinggeneral character which includes a mesh made of expanded metal, and aframe including perimeter frame members made of split tubing receivingthe edges of the mesh and securing them in position by merely grippingthe mesh, over the enlarged or thick elements found in and charac'teristic of expanded metal mesh.

Another object is to provide a panel of the foregoing general characterwhich is extremely light in weight and easily manipulatable such as inapplying in a guard position and removing it therefrom.

An additional object is to provide a panel of the foregoing generalcharacter, together with a simple mounting means, the mounting meansbeing inexpensive as well as inconspicuous when the panel is dismountedtherefrom.

A further object is to provide a panel of the foregoing generalcharacter in which the frame elements are ofgenerally cylindrical shapewhereby to enable utilization of simple hinge means.

Still another object is to provide a panel of the foregoing generalcharacter which is of pleasant appearance.

A further object is to provide novel latch means for use in a paneladapted for demountable positioning in a guard position.

Still another object is to provide a novel latch means of a characterjust referred to which is automatically rendered active by merelyputting the panel in guard position, and which is easily releaseable bya simple manual manipulation.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings:

FIG. II is a face view of a panel made according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a large-scale fragmentary view of elements making up the panelrepresented in FIG. I, and including hinge means;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 2',

FIG. I is a face view ofa panel made according to the invention andincluding a wall element forming an opening in which the panel isutilized for closing, and showing means for mounting the panel;

FIG. 5 is a face view of a panel made according to the invention andincluding extensions of the frame elements utilized in mounting thepanel;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken at line 6-6 of FIG. 5, and showing thepanel mounted on a wall over an opening; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view ofa panel and mounting means therefor andincluding novel latch means made according to the invention.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings attention isdirected first to FIG. ll showing a panel, in face view, made accordingto the present invention.

The panel indicated in its entirety at It) includes a mesh element 12which in the preferred form of the invention is expanded metal, of knownkind, this mesh being of generally openwork construction as will beunderstood. The mesh is mounted in a frame 14 including perimeter framemembers extending around the mesh, including; side members 14a, 14b, abottom member 14c and a top member Md. The panel in its final conditionand simplest form is, as represented in FIG. l,a simple panel includingonly the mesh 12 and the frame 14, without other elements or members.The specific construction of the panel is shown more fully in FIG. 2.

The mesh 12 as stated above is of expanded metal made from a solid sheetslitted in a large number of lines, each line including a large numberof interrupted elements, and adjacent lines being arranged so that theline elements are staggered or offset transversely of the lines. Thesheet is then expanded in directions transverse to the lines, formingstrips or elements 12a interconnected by pieces 12b forming knobs, andforming opening 120, of generally diamond shape. The expanded metal meshis of overall flat character lying generally in a plane 16 (FIG. 3), butthe various elements thereof are individually displaced from that plane.For example, the strips 12a are at a slight angle to the mainidentifying plane 16 while the knobs 12b extend in directions transverseto the plane 16 a distance greater than the corresponding dimension ofthe strips 12a. The knobs 12!) identical or similar, in shape anddisposition, and while the strips 12a at their point of juncture withthose knobs, in pairs form a thickness similar to the knobs, but atpositions along their length between the knobs assume a thicknesstransverse to the plane 16 considerably less than the knobs, with theresult that the knobs 12b form thick elements relative to the portionsof the mesh at the midpoints of the strips 12a, and they are distributedthroughout the area of the mesh.

The frame members 14 are split tubular in form, preferably substantiallycylindrical, as shown in FIG. 3. The cylindrical form is inexpensive andprovides great strength in all directions. The frame members may beformed in a suitable and known method and shaped to provide a slot 18running the entire length which is ofa width less than the dimension ofthe knobs 12b, transverse to the plane 16, and the marginal edges of theslot engage the strips 12a and by the inclusion of certain of the knobs12b within the interior of the tubing, the mesh is retained thereby inplace in the frame.

The tubing frame members may be applied to the mesh by sliding themthereon longitudinally of the frame members. The frame members are thenwelded together as indicated at 20 at the top of the panel or asindicated at 22 at the bottom, forming a rigid, unitary and effectivelyintegral frame. The first three frame members, such as the bottom andtwo side frame members, may be individually applied and provided withmitered joints as indicated at 24 in FIG. 2 while the top frame member14d has a butting arrangement with the side members as indicated at 26.It is within the scope of the invention however to provide the slot 18of sufficiently great width to pass over the knobs 12b in the mesh andthen crimp or compress the frame members to confine the knobs within theframe members, and in that case all of the frame members may be providedwith mitered joints 24. If desired, the tubing may be made to possess adegree of springiness, biasing the slot edges constantly into engagementwith the strips 120.

The cylindrical shape of the frame members provides an additionaladvantage and that is it enables the utilization of simple hinge means28 which includes a circular strap element 30 encircling thecorresponding frame member, such as 1419 and one or two radial fingers32 which may be secured to the framing means 34 (FIG. 4) defining anopening 36 in which the panel is mounted. Since the frame member issubstantially cylindrical, the panel swings freely in the hinge means.The panel when mounted as shown in FIG. 4 may be provided with anysuitable securing means at the swinging edge, indicated diagrammaticallyat 38.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a panel made according to the invention mounted in aguard position over a window or opening in a building. In this instancethe panel indicated at 10 is made generally like that described aboveexcept that two side frame members 144 and 14b having extensions 40 atthe bottom and 42 at the top for use in mounting the panel in position.These extensions 40, 42 are inserted in apertures 44 in angle pieces 46at the bottom and 48 at the top, mounted on the framing means 50defining an opening or window 52 in a wall which the panel is utilizedas a guard. These angle pieces 46, 48 may be continuous across thewindow 52 or they may be individual pieces as represented in FIG. 5, torender them less conspicuous. Suitable securing means may be providedsuch as a latch described hereinbelow, or a padlock, for securing thepanel in mounted position.

As shown in FIG. 6 the panel is mounted in guard position on the inside54 of the wall 50 over the window having a window pane 56. Thisarrangement provides an added advantage in that even if the window paneis broken by a would-be intruder, he still is frustrated by the factthat the panel is mounted inwardly of the window. The inconspicuousappearance of the angle pieces enables great protection to anestablishment while when the guard panel is removed, there are onlysmall telltale indications that a guard was in place.

FIG. 7 shows a novel latch means for automatically latching the panel inplace. This figure shows in large scale the portion of FIG. at the lowerleft comer encircled by dot-dash line 7, and the latch dog incorporatedin the panel. The panel is shown at M which includes the side framemember 140 having a lower extension 40 referred to above. This extension40 is shown extended through the aperture 44 in the angle piece 46.

Incorporated in the lower extension 40 is a latch means indicated in itsentirety at 58 which includes a latch dog 60 having two arms 62, 64 atan acute angle to each other. This latch dog is mounted in the slot 18in the tubing frame member and pivoted therein on a pin 66 mounted inthe opposed wall elements of the tubing. The pin 66 is positioned at thejuncture of the arms 62, 64 adjacent the outer or convex surface of theelbow between the arms, and at such a location that the latch dogassumes a position by gravity shown in full lines in FIG. 7 and hereidentified as a latching position. In this latching position the arm 62extends laterally out through the slot 16 and beyond the confines of theframe member while the other arm 64 extends downwardly through the endof the frame member and substantially longitudinally thereof.

The latch dog 60 is thus arranged so that the panel can be easilyinserted in place, and the latch dog, as a function of so inserting itin place, automatically moves to a position enabling that insertion, andthen moves to a latching position; with the panelpoised to be insertedinto position by inserting the lower extension 40 downwardly through theaperture 44, the latch dog 60 is positioned as represented in full linesin FIG. 7; as the extension 40 moves down through the aperture, thelower arm 64 passes through the aperture and then the arm 60 engages theside edge of the aperture and the dog is thrown counterclockwise to theposition shown in dot-dash lines, thereby enabling the arm 64 to readilypass through the aperture; after the latch dog has completely passedthrough the aperture it reassumes its full line position, due togravity, whereupon the arm 62 would engage the horizontal flange of theangle piece if an attempt were made to remove the guard, and obstructsuch removal. However when the panel is to be removed by an authorizedperson, he merely manipulates the latch dog by engaging either of thearms and moving it to its dot-dash line position and upon moving thepanel upwardly until the arm 62 enters into the aperture 44, the removalof the panel is thereupon easily performed.

It will be understood that the latch means 58 may be provided in eitheror both of the lower extensions 40 ofa panel as shown in FIG. 7 also itwould be practical to provide opposed apertures in one of the extensions40 to insert a padlock for use in an occasion regarded to be especiallyserious.

I claim:

1. A framed panel comprising a mesh element formed of expanded metal andthereby being integral, the body of the expanded metal lying enerally ina lane and having thick and thin portions forming pro ec ions extendingoutwardly from said plane,

the projections being distributed throughout the area of the mesh,

perimeter frame members mounted on the edge portions of the meshelement, the frame members being tubular and substantially cylindricalin shape and each having a slot extending throughout its length, eachslot being of substantially uniform width throughout its length, eachframe member except for the slot being continuous circumferentially,

adjacent frame members being welded together at their engaged ends, andthe interior of the frame members communicating as between contiguousframe members, from the whole interior of one frame member through theslot in an adjacent frame member whereby the interior of all the framemembers form a continuous interior space peripherally around the panel,

the frame members being welded together to form a unitary andeffectively integral, and rigid frame, the slots receiving the edgeportions of the mesh element with the marginal edges of the slotsengaging thin portions of the mesh element, and certain of theprojections disposed within the frame members and secured againstwithdrawal through the slots and the mesh element being secured in theframe members thereby the mesh element and the frame members being sorelatively dimensioned and proportioned that the mesh element extendsthroughout the length of each frame member into the next and contiguousframe member,

whereby the frame holds the mesh element in rigid position throughoutthe perimeter of the frame, and the frame and mesh element together forma unitary, rigid, and essentially planar member.

1. A framed panel comprising a mesh element formed of expanded metal andthereby being integral, the body of the expanded metal lying generallyin a plane and having thick and thin portions forming projectionsextending outwardly from said plane, the projections being distributedthroughout the area of the mesh, perimeter frame members mounted on theedge portions of the mesh element, the frame members being tubular andsubstantially cylindrical in shape and each having a slot extendingthroughout its length, each slot being of substantially uniform widththroughout its length, each frame member except for the slot beingcontinuous circumferentially, adjacent frame members being weldedtogether at their engaged ends, and the interior of the frame memberscommunicating as between contiguous frame members, from the wholeinterior of one frame member through the slot in an adjacent framemember whereby the interior of all the frame members form a continuousinterior space peripherally around the panel, the frame members beingwelded together to form a unitary and effectively integral, and rigidframe, the slots receiving the edge portions of the mesh element withthe marginal edges of the slots engaging thin portions of the meshelement, and certain of the projections disposed within the framemembers and secured against withdrawal through the slots and the meshelement being secured in the frame members thereby the mesh element andthe frame members being so relatively dimensioned and proportioned thatthe mesh element extends throughout the length of each frame member intothe next and contiguous frame member, whereby the frame holds the meshelement in rigid position throughout the perimeter of the frame, and theframe and mesh element together form a unitary, rigid, and essentiallyplanar member.